Southern California -- this just in

Carmageddon II: Baseball, soccer on tap during closure

Though transit officials face many potential headaches as they
prepare for Carmageddon II, a busy sports weekend is not one of them.

The Dodgers and Major League Soccer’s Chivas USA are the only prominent
Los Angeles sports franchises playing at home during the closure of the 405
Freeway this Saturday and Sunday.

The Angels are in Texas, USC's football team is off
and the UCLA football team and the Los Angeles Galaxy MLS squad are both in Colorado for away
games. The NHL remains in labor limbo and the professional basketball season hasn’t started.

Still, any fans coming from the San Fernando Valley will have to avoid the
10-mile stretch of the 405, which is being partially closed to demolish
the north side of the Mulholland Drive Bridge.

The Dodgers play adjacent to downtown at Chavez Ravine, and a
spokeswoman for the team said gates to the Dodger Stadium parking lots would open early to
accommodate fans who want to hit the road earlier than usual.

In conjunction with
the Dodgers' annual Hispanic heritage festival Saturday, parking
lots will open at 1:30 p.m. for a 6:10 p.m. first pitch. Sunday the lot will
open at 10:30 a.m. for a game scheduled to start at 1:30 p.m.

The team is encouraging fans to use the Dodger Stadium Express,
which picks up patrons at the Patsaouras Bus Plaza just east of Union Station.

Buses begin running 90 minutes
before game time and stop 45 minutes after the end of
the game.

The Dodgers, going into their final homestand of the season still with a chance to make the playoffs, could attract large crowds this weekend. Sunday’s afternoon game could also see
a spike in attendance as the team celebrates its annual Fan Appreciation Day
where they plan to award dozens of prizes to fans in attendance.

Chivas USA takes on Real Salt Lake at the Home Depot Center
in Carson on Saturday at 7:30 p.m.